Valks go Dual Sport......

[Highbinder]

Last weekend we attended an  Adventure Riders ride-in held in Harlen County Kentucky at the Black Mountain Receation Park ….this park is mainly for ATV’s and dirt bikes…we made our reservations early because we were told you get the best campsites that way….right ….as we started up the gravel road I thought this isn’t so bad, but after we pasted the section where the cabins were the road went straight up and was washed out, I mean the center of the road was gone!!



 We were already committed with no where to turn around, so up we went…going from one side of the road to the other, over rocks sticking up out of the ground,  thru heavy gravel and mud!!



 The  Valks dug in and went right up



…when we got to the top of the mountain the riders that were already there couldn’t believe we rode Valkyries up that mountain







…during the course of that day and the next day we rode that mountain 6 times..what a blast! The only time it really got hairy was coming down loaded with camping gear…..


Harlen County Kentucky is called the Black Bear Capital of Kentucky, and it certainly is



…while riding on county road 160 a black bear cub ran out in front of  me and ran down the road in front of my bike …at first I thought this is kinda cool, then I remembered where there is a cub there must be a momma, lucky for me she had crossed first….




by the way road 160 which goes from Kentucky over to Va. is an outstanding motorcycle road, one of the best I ridden and I’ve rode a lot of  mountain roads….next day we took a ride down to Cumberland Gap great ride and we found a good restaurant in the town called the Country Kitchen, if you’re ever down that way check it out…..and if you're into BBQ you might want to check this place out.



The Adventure Riders ride hard and party harder, a nice group of folks who enjoy dirt roads and trail riding along with road riding….riding the Valks on this kind of terrain is really challenging because of the weight and the fact that you are going so slow you must steer the bike while keeping it balanced, there is no centrifugal force to help you out….Bandit and Scott would be right at home out there….before there were dirt bikes off road bikes were just cruisers and standards doing there thing in the woods…I certainly wouldn’t want to drop one on the downside of the mountain…get out and enjoy your bikes to the fullest extent, these bikes can do it all if you’re game and not of faint of heart..





On to Cumberland Gap....get out and enjoy the riding season folks you waited all year for the weather to change...as RedValk would say Git R Done..

[R J]

Hey Don, I remember of hearing about you going off road in Oklahoma.  I do believe it was a creek bed..........   LOL.

Used to have the picture, but somehow or somewhere it got deleted.

[makotosun]

These bikes are pretty competent off road machines. Must be the torque and low center of Gravity! 

Video taken a month or two ago in the Mountains west of Crater Lake. => http://s93795793.onlinehome.us/video/reno_bikefinal2.wmv

Video is pretty large, so you may want to right click on the link and download instead of playing it from that location.

I finally turned around when I got to this. Remember I was by myself, so not assistance to lift if tipped over.

[Highbinder]

You're right RJ, that was out at Scott's ranch...I had just rode over a  bridge and saw Scott down there with his V-Strom and figured there was a road down there... so I start down the inbankment, Scott is standing in the river bed waving his arms, I'm figuring he's glad to see me , nope he's trying to tell me go back ...there was about a 2 ft. drop off and down in the river we went, onto a sand bar...that was on my interstate...the hard part was getting back up, a little pucker factor there for sure, but with expert timing and a prayer to the Big Kahuna and my bag of luck, it pulled out of there...Scott had to give it a push because it was sinking in the sand, that was a good day thanks for reminding me...by the way that was the South Canadian River..

[stormrider]

Great Video. Forget the Tail of the Dragon. There are plenty of those roads in N. Ga. and N. Carolina. Must do on my next trip north. Thanks for sharing.

[R J]

You're right RJ, that was out at Scott's ranch...I had just rode over a  bridge and saw Scott down there with his V-Strom and figured there was a road down there... so I start down the inbankment, Scott is standing in the river bed waving his arms, I'm figuring he's glad to see me , nope he's trying to tell me go back ...there was about a 2 ft. drop off and down in the river we went, onto a sand bar...that was on my interstate...the hard part was getting back up, a little pucker factor there for sure, but with expert timing and a prayer to the Big Kahuna and my bag of luck, it pulled out of there...Scott had to give it a push because it was sinking in the sand, that was a good day thanks for reminding me...by the way that was the South Canadian River..

Yup, that is the picture.  I have captured it again.........

[Big IV]

Turns out the bike handles it better than I do. I tend to get a little anxious.
I did have fun going through a small creek at a hippy commune...but typically I keep mine on the road.
Keep the shiny side up on or off road. Thanks for the report!

[Highbinder]

I don't normally seek out dirt roads either...but sometimes, you are where you are... It will certainly improve your riding skills if you live thru it ....to me riding, all kinds of riding is an adventure that should be taken advantage of, it feeds the spirit....seems it thrives on being on the edge...I for one never have liked a routine life...my wife and I have been on a hellva ride for the last 28 years and it ain't over yet...as my friend Hotglue says "I plan on living forever and so far I'm doing just fine"

[LadyDraco]

+1 ~ It was fun going up that mountain !! TheBeast had a blast...
   But that early morning run down was bloody slick in spots..

The funnest thing was when I lost the ice going up the mountain....
The first time.. Ran right over it and never it
Thought I hit rocks  When I got to the top I went to give Don the ice 
Where did it go ??  ??? Had to go back and find it..... LOL... There wasn't much left...
The tires had ripped the bag wide open....

This was cool about half way up the mountain ... Didn't see it till about the 6th time up and down..



A few ADV'ers had to sit in my saddle... They said they never saw such a small seat...



We met Saken at the RDV in May. He is from Russia  ....



Drying stuff the ADV way... That is a Buell "Ulsy" under that stuff....



The dew was heavy every morning...




A early morning  foggy shot... As we are heading out...